Cotton-boll-weevil exterminator



Feb. 59

1,482,785 c. R. CQOLIDGE COTTON BOLL -WEEVIL EXTERMINATOR File-d July 5. ,1922

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllll I I4 l `lI C/zaflee?. Coalidk'ge 61H01 new Feb. 5, 1924. 1,482,185

. C. R. COOLIDGE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL EXTERMINATOR Filed July 5. 1922, 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 EET- E...

Fn 5? 3-, R. comm@ COTTON BOLL WEEVL EXTERMINATOR Filed July 5, 1922 3 ySheets-.Sheet 5 Patented Fels. 5, i924.

unirV means CHARLES R. COOLIDGE, OFHELEN, ARKANSAS.

COTTON-BOLL-WEE'VIL EXTEREINATOR.

application ined July 5,

To all w/tom it 'mayV concern.' n

Be it known that 11,'CHARLrJsR. Coonmen, residing at Helena, in the county of Phillips and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton- Boll`Weevil Exterminators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates Vto agricultural implements and particularly to that class of implements designed to be used in the treat'- ment of cotton during its growth. o

The primary object of the invention is to 'provide a machine for destroying the cotton boli weevil, together with all-punctured cotton squares. In the-accomplishment of this object the machine is so constructed as to provide an efficient and novel means for1 catching and destroying the cotton boli weevil, together withall punctured cotton squares and other rubbish that collects from time to time on the cotton stalk impeding its growth. l

Anotherobject of the invention lis to provide a machine of this rcharacter in which novel means is kprovided vfor directing a forced air current across the cotton stalk,

which means cooperate with striker mechanismV located directly in advance of the Jforced air current, whereby the boll weevil and the` punctured cotton squaresV will be dislodged before coming within theinfluence of the forced air. n f

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which all parts are adjustable to provide for Yvarious stages of cotton growth as well as for di t'- ferences in placing of the rows of cotton, and which is equipped to take care of three rows of cotton at one operation. l

Another object of the'invention is to provide a machine of this character which is extremely compact and very `eiiicient in operation, and which isy adaptedV to he used with cultivating mechanism when desired.

With these and such other objects in view, as willl be apparent from the description, my invention resides in the novel'construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the maieza serial no. 572,905.Y

chine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2, a top plan view thereof; Figure 3, a longitudinal section substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4, a detail vertical sectionof anV element employed incatching the material blown from the cotton stalk;

Figure 5*, an elevation of the clutch mechanism used in connection with the fan;

Figure 6, a top plan view of a modified form of the machine; Y Figure 7, a side elevation of the modification illustrated in Figure 6, Y

Figure 8, a detail elevation of the manner of connecting the retaining troughs to the collecting shields; and j Figure 9, a further enlarged detail illustrating this connection.

ln the improved and preferred form as illustrated-in Figures 1 and 2, theinvention comprises a wheeled frame eonsistingof two sections formed of longitudinal side bars 1 and 2, carrying respectively laterally extending end members 3 3 and 4 4. Plates 5 are disposed over the meeting ends'of the Yend bars 3 3 and 4 4, as bestvillustrated in Figure 2 being so constructed and arranged that the lateral adjustment of these end bars may bemade toprovide for a lateral extension or contraction of the frame. One end bar t is provided with a draft tongue 6 extending forwardly of the machine and an additional draft tongue 7 extending rearwardly thereof, to which may be attached a cultivator not shown. The rear draft tongue T also carries thereabove a suitable seat 8 for the driver or operator of the machine. Depending froni the forward ends of the longitudinal sidebars 1 and 2 are forks 9 andA 10, between the lower ends of which are j'ournaled the main bearing wheels 12 and 13 for supporting the frame, which wheels are adapted to travel betweenthe rows of cotton stalks designated as 14, 15, 16.

Disposed in the frame in alignment with` the main `hearing wheels and directly in the rear thereof, are fans 17, 18, and 19. lThe fan 17 is disposed at the side of the frame directly in the rear of the main bearing wheel 12 and comprisesV in this instance an `eight-bladed fan constructed `with the usual annular end ring 18, mounted on a bearing 19a, extending laterally through an arcuate slot 20, disposed in the lower end of the depending bracket 2l, formed at the lower ends ol depending supporting arms 22 and 23, connected to the longitudinal frame bar l at their upper ends. The end of the ian bearing shaft 19 is provided with an adjusting nut 24 whereby the height of the ran may be regulated by moving the bearing within the slot 20. The :tan 17 carries a sprocket 25 in driven connection with the sporcket 26 through the medium of a chain 2?', the sprocket 26 being rigidly connected to a shaft Q8 journaled at one end in the adjacent side bar of the frame and at the opposite end in a supplemental longitudinal bar 29 extending lengthvi'ise of the frame. The main drive wheel 12 carries a sprocket 30 connected by meansol a chain 31 with the sprocket mounted on a rotatable' sleeve 83 disposed over the sha'tt 28. One end of the sleeve is provided with teeth 34 adapted to be engaged by teeth on the end of a slidable sleeve 36 disposed on the shaft 28 in slidable keyed relation and actuated by means of a forked operating lever 37 provided with a handle 38 and suitable latch mechanism mounted in the bracket 4G carried by thesupplemental traine bar QQ. By this construction, it will be seen that as the sleeve 3G i. thrown into or ont of engagement with the sleeve 38 rotation willgbe imparted to the tan through the medium ot the sprocket wheels and chains as described or the same may be thrown out o't opera. tion at will. The arrangement n oit the sprockets and chains is such that the ratio ofthe gearing is sufficient to provide for an extremely rapid rotation of the ian producing an air current oit' considerable intensity,

and the disposition ot the tan carrying' brackets and its location in the 'traine is such that the 'fan will be disposed dire y adjacent the cotton plant, a, c `strated in the drawings. The coi on of the clutch niecuauisni already descriocd with re.A lation to the lan 1T is exactly similar to that used with the ians i8 and on the opposite side ol the frame, and. therefore, tical reference numerals have been applied in both instances, the only diiiercnce .in tl construction being that the fans 18 and are disposed in close relation, working in opposite directions, with their main drive sprocket 25 located between the two, whereby the fan i9 will be disposed directly in the rear of the main drive wheel 13. ln operation, the :tan 19 will direct its current of air across the cotton plant designated at 16, while the tan 18 will be directed across the plant 15,.l and the tan 17 across the cotton plant 14, thus taking care of' three rows ot cotton at one operation. f Y

Directly in advance of the ian mechanism and in alignment with the cotton rows, is disposed a striker mechanism consisting ot' depending striker arms 41, carried by bars 42, supported on vertical stems 43 adjustably securedby means of lock nuts 44, in laterally extending arms 45 mounted in bearings 46 loc-ated on the bars of the trame, the arms 45 being laterally disposed therein by means of the set screws disposed in the bearings.

Arranged on the opposite side of each cotton stalk in relation to the Jfans, are collecting shields 48, 49 and 50. For clearness of description, the shield 48 is shown as being disposed Opposite the fan 17, shield 49 as being` disposed opposite the tan 18 and shield 50-as disposed opposite the fan 19. These shields comprise arcuate sheets of metal of a width and height sulticien't to cover completely the cotton plant adjacent thereto, being carried by arcuate rods 51 secured at each end of the shield andfprojecting upwardly through transverse bores disposed in rock shaft 52 journaled in bearing brackets 58 secured on the frame bars, and carrying at one end the operating handles 54, whereby on rotation of the shaft by means ot' the handle 54 the shields 48, 49 and 50 will be swung arcuately to be brought into closer engagements with the cotton plants orother way as desired. Set screws 55 carried by the brackets 53 serve to maintain the adjustment of the rock shaft 52, and substantially vertical adjustment of the shields may be obtained by slidably adjusting the bars 51 through the shaft 52 by means of set screws. TWith this construction it will be seen that the shields may be raisedor lowered vertically andalso adjusted. arcuately with respect to the cotton plant so as to be swung into or out of engagement therewith. Detachably mounted on the lower ends of the shields 48, 49 and 50 are collecting troughs 5T carrying upstanding hook flanges 58 adapted to be engaged in sockets 59, carried by the lower ends of the shields 48, 49 and 50,V whereby they may beY readily att-ached or detached therefrom. The ltroughs 57 are substantially semi-cylindrical, being provided with the closed ends and carrying at their inner edges longitudinally.disposed oppositely extend-ing inclined aprons 60, 61. The aprons and 61 are preferably formed integral with'the trough members and are so inclined that the innermost aprons designated as at will serve to deflect the material blown `from the cotton stalks upwardly*y against the inner surztace of the collecting shields, while the aprons 61, owing to their inclination, will prevent accidental dislodgment ot" the material within the trough. Longitudinally spaced supporting wires 62 connect the inner edges of the trough with the uppermost apron of the shields 48, 49 and 50, as best illustrated in Figure 4,A and at vertically spaced intervals are longitudinally disposed Vwires 63 extending from end to end of the the Vcotton stalks will be blown, and, due to the travel'of the machine, a'gitation will be imparted 'to the plants supplemental to, and cooperating With, the agitation A.imparted thereto by means of the striker mechanism already described. e

Furthermore, this construction of the net work or screening as described prevents the cotton plants from becoming caught within the collecting shields, thereby eliminating any possible injury to the plant during the l operation of the machine.

In the modified form, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the construction `is practically the same as that of the preferredy form with the exception that the frame comprising the side bars l and 2 and end bars3 and 4 are suppor'ted by a single bearing wheel 64 located centrally of the frame and driving double fans 18 and 19", supported in supplemental longitudinal'frame bars 65 and 66. The gear connection between the fan 18" and the main drive wheel is identical with thatl of thepreferred form, but in this modification the fan is journaled on depending angularstruts 22 and 23 which are secured at their upper ends to the main frame bar66. In this modification of the machine, I provide'balancewheels 67, disposed at opposite sides of the :trame slightly inadvance of the center thereof, and carried `by brackets 68 laterally adjustable by means Lof .the set screws y69, inkbeari-ngs 70 disposed on the transverse bar 71 carried in the'main frame of the machine. These balance wheels co-v operating with the drivewheel 64 provide a three-point bearing, preventing any possi- `bility ot the machine slanting during its operation.k In this modified form, the construction of the strikermechanism and collecting shield is exactly similar to that of the preferred form andthe parts are indicated by primed numerals Where they correspond to those made in the showing ofV thepreferred form.

vIt is contemplated that the machine torming this invention is to be .used in ,cotton fields before the cotton has attained any considerable growth and the fans are to be constructed ofsuiiicient dimension to torce the current of air across the entire cotton plant, blowing the boll weevils and punctured cotton squares into the collecting shields as described, from which they will drop into the troughs 57 and be retained therein until collected. The basic principle upon which l this device operates is that of dislodgment of the boll weevil and the cotton squares, first,

f by means ot a striker mechanism, and, second, by means of strong current of air im?. pinging against the cotton plant directly behind the striking means.` 'It is characteristic ofthe cotton boll weevil that theV moment any agitation is imparted tothe `plant upon which isis feeding it A willfcurl Aupy its legs and drop to the ground. lBydisposing the fans directly inthe rear ofthe striker mechas` nism, as soon as thel bollweevil begins to fall it Will be caught by thefstrong current of air fforced across the plant andcarried into the collecting shield. The punctured cotton .Squares soon die and become loose on i the stalk and these will be carried off by the strong current of air at the Sametime as the weevil. It is just as importantto destroy these punctured squares as it is the boll Weevil because each` Square contains an 'egg WhichA will hatch within three weeks and produce another crop ofboll Weevil.

lWhile I have illustrated and described certain details andfmaterialsgwhich enter intothe construction andy operation of this do not intend to -limit myself to these., but that any such may be used as Will fall withinthe scope of the invention as claimed. I Vclaim :v 1. A machine of they character describe comprising a wheeled frame, fanL mechanism disposed insaid frame, means for drivinventioln I desire it to be understood that I i ing said fan mechanism, means for adjust- Y ing said fan .mechanism substantially verticallywithin theI frame, and striker mechanism disposed in said frame laterallyof'said fan mechanism and directly in advance thereof. 2

2. A machine of the character described comprising a wheeled frame, a-plura-lity of fans located therein, a driving connection between the wheels of said frame and said fans, collecting members disposed in said frame, andin lateral spaced relation to said v operating, said fans, collecting members dis-V posed in said frame in spaced relation from saidV fans, means orvertical adjustment of said collecting members inthe trame, means for rotatably adjusting said collecting members in the frame, and means for permitting lateraladjustment of said frame.

4. A machine of the character described comprising -a wheeled trame adapted to straddle a plurality of cotton rows,-fans disposed in said frame in spaced relation .at

iis'

the side of said cotton rows opposite said arms carried by the lower ends of said rods fans and in lateralV alignment therewith, and in alignment with said cotton rows but means for adjusting saidcolleoting niemdirectly in advancev of said fans and c01- 10 i bers relative to the cotton rows, laterally eX- lecting members. Y f Y 5 tending brackets carried by said frame, ver- In witness whereof I have hereunto aftical rods adjustably mounted in said fixed my hand this 3rd day of July, 1922. brackets and depending therefrom, striker CHARLES R. COOLIDGE. 

